New Atlanticist

A Tribute to Zbigniew Brzezinski

                                    Madeleine AlbrightUS Secretary of State (1997-2001) “His absence will be felt, and his presence sorely missed, but Zbig’s ideas and his worldview will continue to influence the foreign policy debate for many years to come. In today’s complicated world, […]

America First Also Means Europe First

By Louis Golino

The NATO summit in Brussels on May 25 was an important opportunity for US President Donald J. Trump to turn his recent statement about the Alliance no longer being obsolete in his opinion into real progress in transatlantic relations. However, Trump’s boorish behavior at the summit, his failure to endorse the Alliance’s mutual defense clause, […]

Does the Road to Energy Dominance Run Through Paris?

By David L. Goldwyn

US President Donald J. Trump’s administration aims to position the United States for “energy dominance” as a leading exporter of oil and gas. So far, this vision of US energy dominance has assumed that policies favoring reduced emissions are a hindrance rather than an opportunity.  In fact, the nation’s ability to expand production and compete […]

Creating a More Competitive Energy Market in Europe

By Valerio Zanovello

One of the key characteristics—and potential vulnerabilities—of the European energy market is its dependence on imports. The European Commission has drawn up a list of 195 key energy infrastructure projects, known as Projects of Common Interest (PCI), to create a more competitive energy market and alleviate this dependence. Some of these projects could considerably improve […]

This is Why Africa Matters to the United States

The cuts to foreign aid proposed in US President Donald Trump’s new budget, if passed, would drastically diminish US influence in Africa, threaten US security interests, and make way for countries like China to fill the void, according to a former White House official. “We can’t be ceding this space to China and to other […]

Putin, Not Trump, Has Led NATO Members to Increase Defense Spending

By Kelly Russo

While US President Donald J. Trump admonished the United States’ NATO allies at a meeting in Brussels on May 25 for not spending enough on collective defense, it is the threat posed by Russia that has been a bigger factor in galvanizing the allies’ defense commitments, according to a former deputy secretary general of NATO. […]

Trump’s Plan to Slash Foreign Aid is Out of Step with History

By Michael Sheldrick

As US President Donald J. Trump prepares to head off for Memorial Day weekend, he should pause and reflect on the nature of war and reconsider his administration’s plans to gut American soft power. History tells us that support for overseas development initiatives and institutions like the United Nations is critical for promoting peace, security, […]

Manchester Bombing Puts Libya’s ISIS Problem Back in the Spotlight

By Ashish Kumar Sen

A horrific suicide bombing in Manchester has put a spotlight on Libya—the North African nation where the chaos that has prevailed for the better part of the past six years has become a fertile breeding ground for a mélange of terrorist groups, including the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). “What Manchester shows is […]

Kazakhstan’s Niche in China’s Belt and Road Initiative

By Alexandra Di Cocco

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, formerly One Belt, One Road) is an economic integration project that will allow the often-overlooked Kazakhstan to capitalize on its unique geographic location to leverage geopolitical benefits from the initiative. The infrastructure project is designed to expand China’s influence beyond its immediate neighborhood with economic […]